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WATCH: From a carpet warehouse to World Championship glory – The origins of the Williams F1 team
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Formula 1 history is littered with tales of racing teams who came and went, some managing wins or even championships before fading away, others barely troubling the scorers before being snuffed out, squeezed to extinction in the tough and cash-hungry world of Grand Prix racing.
Just surviving as an independent F1 team is hard enough, let alone going on to win. It is remarkable then, that this weekend in Monaco, Williams will celebrate their 750th Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix. Quite the achievement for a team that started life in an old carpet warehouse in Oxfordshire, with Frank Williams and Patrick Head, some big ideas, and not much else.
But from humble beginnings the team grew into the outfit that had several spells of utter domination in F1, taking on and beating the giants of Ferrari, Lotus and McLaren, and picking up nine constructors' titles and seven drivers' championships for the likes of Alan Jones, Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill along the way.
The team may no longer be family-owned after Sir Frank and daughter Claire sold up last year, but Williams will always hold a special place in the hearts of F1 fans who witnessed the rise of this passionate racing family to the very top of the motorsport world.
Enjoy the video up top, as we delve back into the fascinating origins of one of F1's most beloved teams.
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